Heacox Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 What is BSA policy on completing merit badges that have been revised? My son took the Personal Mgmt MB in the Troop in Jan/Feb '04 and was given the worksheets available on non-BSA websites to submit showing he'd learned the material. Well, when he got the MB pamphlet, he realized that the requirements changed 1/04 apparently. I think he needs to do the new requirements, not the old worksheet. SM says the old stuff is ok. What's correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evmori Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 If he didn't start the badge until 1/04 and that's when the revisions were made he needs to complete the badge with the revisions. The SM has no say in what requirements are used unless he is the MB counselor. Ed Mori 1 Peter 4:10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlculver415 Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 I agree with Ed. Your son needs to do the new requirements since he began the work after the badge revision. Therefore, as a point of clarification, if a boy has already started a MB and then the badge undergoes revision - the former requirements are still in effect. This is the way I interpret MB requirements for which I am counselor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdvanceOn Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 I agree that the Scout should be working on the new requirements but how do you all handle this situation? I was just at our Scout Shop today and specifically looked at the personal management merit badge book with the intent of buying it since there are new requirements. Guess what? They still have a full supply of the old requirements. If a Scout or merit badge counselor were to go in to buy the book they would get the old requirements. If the expectation is that the Scout will use the new requirements then the curent books need to be there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eamonn Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Yesterdays papers telling yesterdays news?? Eamonn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evmori Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Advance On brings up a great point! But the counselor should be up on the changes & know what they are. Meritbadge.com is an excellent resource and the requirements book usually has the current requirements. I am suprised, Advanace On, that our Scout Shop didn't have the new books. They are usually good about that! Ed Mori 1 Peter 4:10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Eagle Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 I would suggest that if the materials are not available then the new requirements cannot be expected to be used. If all that is needed to complete a merit badge is the list of requirements, someone needs to be asking why there are merit badge books. Perhaps we should do away with them and just have the requirements book. I however, favor the position that the books are a key (though perhaps not always essential) resource for merit badge counselors and for Scouts. In that case it is necessary for the new materials to be available before the new version of the badge can be taught. If the new materials are not yet available, I would suggest either waiting until they are, or continuing on with the old requirements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John-in-KC Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 I'm a unit advancement coordinator, and I counsel 4 merit badges. In point of fact, I just went out to one of the unofficial merit badge web sites ... he has data from the 2002 book online for Personal Management. My personal wish is that BSA Supply Division would take the BSA Requirements book and just place it online. There is no reason for the advancement requirements to be a profit center. My thoughts. Others may have different thoughts YIS John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle69 Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 BSA policy is that if you start a merit badge under the old requirements and they change it, you can complete it under the old. My troop also got caught by the change in Personal Management MB this year. I bought a "current" copy of the merit badge book from our scout shop early in January, then later happened to catch a thread on here that mentioned it had changed. I found the new requirements online at one site and another site was still showing the old ones and continued to as recently as today. Since we started under the copy I bought in January from the Scout Shop I decided that was how we should continue. BSA should maintain the requirements on their site so you know you are always getting the current ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evmori Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 If I'm not mistaken, if there have been changes to a merit badge & the pamphlet isn't out but the requirements book has the changes, the changes apply. Ed Mori Troop 1 1 Peter 4:10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob White Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 Eagle69 is correct. The scout can finish a merit badge under the requirements he started with, or switch to the new requirements and begin again. the counselor can accept previously approved work if the specifc requirement is the same in the old and new version. The only requirements that count of course, are ones in a published Merit Badge book. On-line information amy seem handy but it is not official. The Scout or the Counselor must have a BSA publication with the set of requirements that the scout is using. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWScouter Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 Unless it changed it the last few year it not the requirements in the Merit Badge book but the one published in the latest requirement book or Merit Badge Book which ever is most current. Merit Badge Books are not always undated or your council may not have the latest one for sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John-in-KC Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Bob White wrote: "The only requirements that count of course, are ones in a published Merit Badge book. On-line information amy seem handy but it is not official. The Scout or the Counselor must have a BSA publication with the set of requirements that the scout is using." Huh? Unless you are considering BSA Requirements a Merit Badge book ... (I know neither add to nor take from btw.) Common sense tells me the most recent basic copyright date between a MB pamphlet and the BSA requirements will determine which has most recent requirements set. Given that BSA revises Requirements annually, though, I would think Program and Supply Divisions will get those out before they can write an updated pamphlet... Just musings YIS John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunt Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 I really disapprove of the idea that the requirements book should trump the most recently published MB pamphlet. The pamphlet contains a lot more than just the requirements, and should be the basic tool for both the Scout and the advisor to understand what the badge is all about. In short, I don't think they should change MB requirements at all until the new pamphlet is published (unless there is some safety or other urgent reason, of course). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evmori Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 The only requirements that count of course, are ones in a published Merit Badge book. On-line information amy seem handy but it is not official. The Scout or the Counselor must have a BSA publication with the set of requirements that the scout is using. From my understanding, this is not true. Additionally, from the Advancement Committee Policies & Procedures: The steps to follow in the merit badge program are outlined in the current Boy Scout Requirements. Merit badge books are not required to complete a merit badge. They are a resource to be used in completion of the badge. Ed Mori Troop 1 1 Peter 4:10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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